Michelle DeShon Dishes on her Guitar-Playing Character in “Satisfaction”

Michelle DeShon recently landed the role of 16-year-old Anika Truman on “Satisfaction,” but it didn’t come easy.

When she arrived at her audition, DeShon discovered the other girls trying out had guitars and they were all expected to sing a song. Because DeShon wasn’t anticipating either of those things, she went into panic mode but got through it and sang a song she heard on the radio on the way there.

From there, she was forced to learn more music, which she did with the help of a friend.

“I borrowed my 10-year-old neighbor’s play guitar and I learned a song on YouTube and took seven lessons in five days and learned a song,” DeShon said. “It’s cool that I get to learn guitar.”

On the show, Anika uses her music as a way to escape and express herself, and at times, it comes back to bite her. In one scene from the first episode, Anika exposes two of her teachers who are having an affair during a school talent show and faces the repercussions from her principal. Meanwhile, Anika’s parents’ marriage is spiraling out of control. Luckily, Anika doesn’t seem to notice the drama going on around her.

“I don’t think she’s consciously aware, but that’s one thing that’s cool about the music,” DeShon said. ”It kind of seeps into her songs and everything that is going on with her parents, it effects their child, so I think eventually she’ll become more aware, but consciously I don’t think she realizes that there is some serious problems.”

One reason Anika may not notice her parents’ issues is because she’s got issues of her own. As a 16-year-old, Anika is dealing with the normal hardships teens go through, including her desire to find her place, all while refusing to conform to what others may want from her.

“There’s big family episodes were a lot of the issues are with the family, but she also has her own storyline with what goes on at school,” DeShon said. “She might meet a boy, she might find her own love, so she has her own story line, as well as what is with the whole family.”

“She definitely beats to her own drum,” DeShon said. “She’s very strong in who she is. She’s so brave and she doesn’t conform to anything. I think she teaches her parents that being true to yourself is the number one thing.”

When asked which of her parents her character was closest to on the show, DeShon revealed it was her mother, but told CableTV that there is definitely going to be some future drama between them.

“Anika is definitely closer to her mom because Neil works 60 hours a week and I think he’s very much the boss dad, but she also has some kind of tiffs with her mom,” DeShon said. “In general, she’s been fairly close to her mom and it’s just recently that they are starting to bicker.”

For more of DeShon, tune into “Satisfaction” when it premieres July 17 on USA.